Dying to Know You » Chapter 3

Samantha Duran sat stiffly in the armchair positioned in front of the large Palladian windows. The room around her was as dark and quiet as the outside world, but she was in too much pain to sleep. Though she was exhausted and longed to bury herself underneath the warm covers of the inviting four poster bed, the fierce pain that shot down her spine with every miniscule movement kept her in the chair.

Her sad eyes stared out on to the wooden grounds of the grand estate. She watched the movement of two beams of faint yellow light as the guards made their hourly patrol around the perimeter of the manor. She had been sitting there for two hours, alone with her suffering and thoughts.

Movement in the dark trees below her window caught her attention, and she focused on the area. On such a moonless night, she could barely make out the outlines of the trees and bushes. Yet she was certain she had seen something there. She watched, and just when she was about to dismiss it as a figment of her tired mind, she saw it again.

Ignoring the severe pain that shot through her back, Samantha forced herself to her feet and moved closer to the large windows. She laid a hand against the cool glass to steady herself as she peered outside, watching a shadow dart across the open lawn towards the house. Her heart skipped a beat. An intruder?

The figure pressed against the side of the manor and disappeared in the shadows. Samantha’s mind raced as her eyes searched for any sign of the figure. If it was an intruder, she needed to sound the alarm immediately. There was no time to waste, but the phone was on the bedside table, a good ten feet away. She stepped away from the window, wincing with every step.

She made it only as far as the chair. Her fingers dug into the fabric to keep herself upright. Her entire body felt as if it was burning. She needed the pain medicine kept in the bedside table’s drawer. Medicine first and then deal with the intruder. She pushed away from the armchair and stumbled to the bed. She cried out in agony before collapsing, dragging part of the comforter on to the floor with her.

And she laid there, in an awkward heap, gasping for breath. The pain was more intense than it had been in a long time, and the medicine was just out of her reach. How could she alert security now? What if it was an assassin?

Her lips moved as she tried to call out, but only soft, incoherent moans came out. As the seconds ticked by, she lost to the pain. Though conscious, she felt separated from her body. She vaguely heard the door open and the soft footsteps on the hardwood floor. She could barely make out a figure in the darkness and through her tears. What it Simon? He must have returned from the capital city early. Suddenly, in spite her condition, relief wash over her.

“Simon… help… can’t move… it hurts…” She barely managed to force the jumble of words from her dry mouth.

She felt herself being lifted from the floor and was gently laid on the bed. She tried to gesture towards the side table, but she was too weak to control her body. Her hand had slammed into the hard corner of the furniture, but she did not feel it through the pain crippling the rest of her. The shadowy figure carefully set her arm back by her side, and then opened the drawer. Inside was the medical case that contained the pain medicine.

He removed a syringe and took hold of Samantha’s arm. The skill that only comes from experience, the medicine was swiftly injected, and almost immediately, the pain began to lessen. Samantha could finally breathe easily again, but as always, it made her terribly sleepy. She closed her eyes.

A gloved hand laid the empty syringe on the top of the dresser next to the phone. He removed a second syringe from the case, carefully wrapped it, and closed the drawer. Through the darkness, he glanced at the girl asleep on the bed, noting that her breathing was even and her face peaceful. Then he was gone, a ghost in the night.

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